Thanksgiving morning I went for a short run in the neighborhood we were visiting. The sun had just come up, there was a nice cool breeze, and I was feeling strong. About 1.5 miles into my run, the tip of my running shoe hit an uneven patch on the sidewalk and I went flying — without my superhero cape — and crashed onto the concrete. My knee landed first, before my now-scraped hands could break my fall. Thankfully I had my cell phone with me to call my husband to come rescue me (there was no way my broken kneecap could have survived a crawl back to my in-laws’), but I can’t get out of my mind what might have happened had my head landed first.

Fortunately, I was wearing my Road ID wrist band with my name and emergency phone numbers on it (by now you know I’m Safety Girl). If I had been knocked out, my Road ID would have been an incredible help to the emergency personnel.

Road ID is something that I urge everyone to wear when doing anything outdoors — running, walking, biking, hiking, snowshoeing, etc. Their products range from the Wrist ID Sport (pictured in this post), for just $19.99, to a band for your ankle, a pouch to put on your shoe, or even a simple ID that fits on your shoe laces, and they come in a variety of colors. You can print up to 6 lines of text on the ID, and you can always order a replacement ID to fit on your strap if you ever move or need to change emergency contact info.

If you know someone who doesn’t yet have one of these, I’d urge you to pass this deal along. I received the Wrist ID Sport as a Christmas gift from my in-laws last year, and it brings me great peace of mind. It even encourages me. The last line of text on my band says, “STRONG COURAGEOUS MOMMY.” If that doesn’t inspire you, I’m not sure what will!

Feel clueless as to what you’d put on your Road ID? Here’s what is on mine, to give you an idea:

MY NAME / YEAR OF BIRTH (Their site said having your year of birth is helpful for medical personnel.)

CITY, TX USA (Just in case I am ever exercising on vacation – or in a sporting event – in another country.)

HOME 222-222-2222

HUSBAND 333-333-3333 (It literally just says “husband” instead of his name, and this is his cell number.)

SISTER 444-444-4444 (It literally just says “sister” instead of her name, and this is her cell number.)

Whether you’re married or single, with or without dependents, an Emergency Preparation File is one of those things you just MUST have. When there’s an emergency situation and you have to get OUT of your home FAST, you need to have everything in one spot, easily accessible, and highly portable. No one wants to think about being in this situation, but you’ve got to be prepared.

You know you need to be prepared, but where do you start? Smead Organomics has a great article with FREE information on how to put together an Emergency Preparation File. It is definitely worth a few minutes to read the article, and a couple of hours to gather your household’s information to make your own file.

So, why did I post this? I’m Safety Girl, the daughter of Safety Man. Safety Man is always on my mind, and always in my heart. He taught me to always be prepared for anything that might come my way. He had an Emergency Preparation File too, and told me where he and my mom kept it in their home. I never wanted to think about them ever needing it, but I knew where it was just in case. We have an emergency preparation file for our household too, and this article reminds me that I need to update it asap!

Give yourself the gift of peace of mind this November, knowing you’ve done what you can to be prepared!

I don’t know about you, but over the years I’ve managed to tuck my driver’s license into every sports bra I own in an effort to be safe when biking, running, and walking outdoors. Well, here’s an even better solution that just may save your life.

Road ID makes just that — ID that you can wear on your body while out on the road. Their products range from the Wrist ID Sport (pictured in this post), for just $19.99, to a band for your ankle, a pouch to put on your shoe, or even a simple ID that fits on your shoe laces. You can print up to 6 lines of text on the ID, and you can always order a replacement ID to fit on your strap if you ever move or need to change emergency contact info.

If you know an athlete who doesn’t yet have one of these, I’d urge you to pass this deal along. I received the Wrist ID Sport as a Christmas gift from my in-laws, and it brings me great peace of mind. It even encourages me. The last line of text on my band says, “STRONG COURAGEOUS MOMMY.” If that doesn’t inspire you, I’m not sure what will!

Feel clueless as to what you’d put on your Road ID? Here’s what is on mine, to give you an idea:

MY NAME / YEAR OF BIRTH (Their site said having your year of birth is helpful for medical personnel.)

CITY, TX USA (Just in case I am ever exercising on vacation – or in a sporting event – in another country.)

HOME 222-222-2222

HUSBAND 333-333-3333 (It literally just says “husband” instead of his name, and this is his cell number.)

SISTER 444-444-4444 (It literally just says “sister” instead of her name, and this is her cell number.)

(This is a re-post from April. I thought it was worthy of a re-post after vacationing with athletic friends this past weekend and discovering they hadn’t yet heard of Road ID, an invaluable piece of safety gear in my mind!)

Ok, so what’s a handbag hanger and why do I need one? Well, when you go out to dine, where does your handbag go? The back of your chair so that you can be pick-pocketed? Your lap so you can drop food on it? The floor so you can bring home who-knows-how-many icky germs?

Here’s the solution! You need a handbag hanger! ArtsCow’s “great bag hanger provides an easy way to hang your purse or handbag. The hanger folds into a disc shape and are the perfect size for carrying in your purse. Customize with your own personalized [photo or] logo (1 1/4″ in diameter), with enamel coating for long time protection.”

Normally $6.99 each plus shipping, use code HANGHOOK to get TWO for a total of $1.99 with FREE shipping!

Some ideas… Use photos of your kids to make gifts for their grandmothers! Use your company logo or a friend’s company’s logo for extremely inexpensive give-aways or gifts! Use a photo of your pet so Fluffy or Fido is always with you! Perhaps a photo of the sunset from your latest vacation to whisk you away to paradise!

Expires: July 16, 2010 or whenever the stock is depleted – whichever happens first

Hello, YUMMY! Tonight is a great night to get out of the house for a treat. Wednesday is hump day, and this sweet treat will help you make it to the weekend! And besides, calories don’t count if you eat it standing up, right?

The event is in honor of America’s firefighters — and Baskin Robbins is even donating $100,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. There may be a chance for you to make a donation tonight too, so bring some extra change if you can. THANK YOU to the brave men and women who keep us safe, and to their families too.

I don’t know about you, but over the years I’ve managed to tuck my driver’s license into every sports bra I own in an effort to be safe when biking, running, and walking outdoors. Well, here’s an even better solution that just may save your life.

Road ID makes just that — ID that you can wear on your body while out on the road. Their products range from the Wrist ID Sport (pictured in this post), for just $19.99, to a band for your ankle, a pouch to put on your shoe, or even a simple ID that fits on your shoe laces. You can print up to 6 lines of text on the ID, and you can always order a replacement ID to fit on your strap if you ever move or need to change emergency contact info.

If you know an athlete who doesn’t yet have one of these, I’d urge you to pass this deal along. I received the Wrist ID Sport as a Christmas gift from my in-laws, and it brings me great peace of mind. It even encourages me. The last line of text on my band says, “STRONG COURAGEOUS MOMMY.” If that doesn’t inspire you, I’m not sure what will!

Feel clueless as to what you’d put on your Road ID? Here’s what is on mine, to give you an idea:

MY NAME / YEAR OF BIRTH (Their site said having your year of birth is helpful for medical personnel.)

CITY, TX USA (Just in case I am ever exercising on vacation – or in a sporting event – in another country.)

HOME 222-222-2222

HUSBAND 333-333-3333 (It literally just says “husband” instead of his name, and this is his cell number.)

SISTER 444-444-4444 (It literally just says “sister” instead of her name, and this is her cell number.)

Toys-R-Us & Babies-R-Us are doing it again! For 3 weeks from January 29 – February 20, you can trade in your old baby gear for 25% OFF new gear at Toys-R-Us & Babies-R-Us with their Great Trade-In event!

Bring in your old car seat, stroller, travel system, high chair, play yard, bassinet, toddler bed or crib of ANY brand and get 25% off your purchase of a new item from any of these categories from these participating brands: Babi Italia, Baby Caché, Baby Trend, Bergamo, Bertini, Britax, Carter’s, Chicco, Contours by Kolcraft, Cosco, Delta, Eddie Bauer, Evenflo, Graco, Jeep, Little Tykes, Safety 1st, Sorelle, and Step 2. No limit! Trade in as many items as you want! Trade-in items and purchases items can be from different categories.

Educating resourcefully

There are so many ways to teach simply through everyday experiences, and to have a lot of fun along the way. Check out LITTLE SPONGES for easy, tangible ideas for teaching your child outside of the classroom!